Trump says Musk restored Ukraine’s Starlink access amid Russia war

The US president has declined to remark connected the process that led Starlink to assistance velocity and entree restrictions connected Ukraine.

United States President Donald Trump has said that tech mogul Elon Musk has restored Ukraine’s entree to Starlink, a outer net work that plays a cardinal relation successful Kyiv’s war effort and aerial defences.

On Thursday, Trump declined to sermon a study from The Wall Street Journal that helium had called Musk and instructed him to extremity restrictions connected Ukraine’s connection.

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The quality outlet reported that Starlink services returned to mean pursuing the call.

“I don’t privation to remark connected it, whether I called oregon whether idiosyncratic other called, doesn’t marque immoderate difference, I guess. The bottommost line, helium enactment it back,” Trump told reporters erstwhile asked astir the report.

On October 13, Ukrainian officials announced that abrupt restrictions connected Starlink services had near the country’s subject scrambling.

Though the strategy came backmost online, connectivity has reportedly remained spotty.

Questions person persisted astir wherever the determination to restrict access came from, with Musk and the Trump medication officials trading blame.

Trump has denied ordering restrictions connected Ukraine’s entree to Starlink.

“Well, I don’t cognize if it was anybody, but it wasn’t me, and I don’t deliberation it was Elon,” helium said connected Friday. “And from what I understand, it’s the aforesaid arsenic it’s ever been.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio besides said this week that decisions astir Starlink’s velocity and entree beryllium to Musk.

“The bottommost enactment is that that is governed by a backstage commercialized declaration arsenic to however ⁠their worldly tin beryllium utilized and what speeds they’ll let it to beryllium utilized at,” Rubio said connected Wednesday.

But Musk has denied immoderate responsibility, stating that Starshield, the military-grade mentation of Starlink, is “owned and controlled by the US government”.

“Any limits connected velocity oregon usage are decided by the US subject and yet POTUS,” helium said successful a societal media station connected October 14, utilizing the acronym for “president of the United States”.

The Starlink velocity caps and restrictions person besides raised concerns that Trump, oregon the president’s right-wing allies, mightiness question to leverage specified exertion to unit Ukraine into complying with US demands.

Trump has had a contentious narration with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, repeatedly calling him “difficult” successful examination to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine has been locked successful a slow-grinding warfare with Russia since February 2022, aft Putin launched a full-scale penetration of the Eastern European country.

While Europe has backed Ukraine’s defence against the invasion, Trump has suggested Ukraine itself could beryllium to blasted for the conflict.

In 2025, for instance, Trump blamed Ukraine’s ambitions of joining NATO. “ I really deliberation that that was the happening that caused the commencement of the war,” helium said astatine the time.

More recently, Trump posted connected Truth Social that it was Zelenskyy’s responsibility the warfare had not yet ended. “He doesn’t privation to extremity this war, and astir apt ne'er did,” Trump wrote.

As the warfare continues, Trump has been criticised by Democrats and immoderate members of his ain Republican Party for easing US unit connected Russia.

Recently, his medication issued a bid of announcements to bargain Russian diesel and easiness restrictions connected Russia’s vigor sector.

Those decisions travel arsenic Trump is struggling with the political fallout of precocious substance prices caused by his determination to articulation Israel successful launching a warfare connected Iran.

He has besides suggested helium would beryllium unfastened to a trilateral gathering with Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, which would beryllium a archetypal for the 3 leaders.